the benefits of the new boom are not limited to environmental considerations. Thanks to its ingenious design, the MacGregor Closed Boom has an optimal support structure. It has a smooth upper surface in order to prevent ice formation and a smooth inner bottom surface to enable easy cleaning. Furthermore, there is no need for any extra installation for overflow protection.
“Service and inspection of boom conveyors have not always been so easy. To eliminate the common problem of handling big, unwieldy cover plates during these operations there are walkways alongside the belt, allowing safe and easy access to the equipment within the walls of the boom (see picture on p102). Consequently, service and inspection can be performed by a single member of staff. Emergency exits are located at both ends of the boom. There are safety wires and walkways located on the upper side of the boom to enable a safe exit from either end.”
To minimize risk of damage to equipment and injury to personnel, a low-pressure sprinkler system is installed inside the boom, alongside the conveyor.
Depending on the length required, the boom may be delivered complete or in sections, which simplifies and speeds up the installation for shipbuilders.
The new boom will benefit from an increased product life span because the components are very well protected against the external elements.
MacGregor basket gates are designed to operate in gravity self- unloading vessels to transfer free-flowing bulk material from the ship’s cargo hold onto the hold conveyors. In association with variable-speed belt conveyors basket gates ensure the perfect combination for selecting and varying the discharge capacity to meet local requirements.
As part of its continuing R&D investment, Cargotec has developed the MacGregor Full Flow Gate. Solid engineering work based on customer input and the different material characteristics of cargoes such as particle size, bulk density and moisture content, has resulted in a new product with a wider
The new MacGregor Closed Boom developed by Cargotec.
gate opening, generating increased capacity and minimizing material flow disruptions. The gate can handle for example, coal, iron ore, gypsum rock and aggregates.
Anders Ba¨ckstro¨m, senior mechanical engineer, says “Cargotec has managed to develop a gate with a high cargo handling capacity without compromising on hull space. The more space occupied by the gates and conveyors, the less there isavailablefortherevenueearningcargo. Thankstotheplacing of the gate cylinders on the sides, the hog backs can be arranged much more efficiently, thus the MacGregor Full Flow Gates require much less space than traditional gates.
“Extensive research studies were necessary in order to achieve optimized material flow. The result is that the MacGregor Full Flow Gate has a wider gate opening for the same belt width than a traditional gate (see picture below). 100% material flow through the gate will generate increased capacity and minimize material flow disruptions.”
Overflow protection on the long sides and shear plates on the short sides of the gate help to create an optimal material profile. At the same time it enables the conveyor system to be stopped and restarted without changing the flow and the shape of the material.
Self discharging bulk carriers are a key component in the global commodity boom, providing fast unloading and quick turnaround to meet increasing market demands, at the same time maximizing return on investment for vessel operators. However, the extremely demanding operating pressures under which the carriers operate means that the benefits they provide are only sustainable if the bulk operator takes measures to counteract the detrimental effects of bulk cargoes that can be very dense, corrosive and abrasive.
From the first day that handling equipment on self-discharging vessels goes into service, its life is reduced progressively by the effects of wear, due to the nature and volumes of materials being handled. Minerals such as coal, iron ore, coke and pellets are traditionally seen as abrasive materials and are handled in quantities of millions of tonnes per year by loading
facilities. As a result they incur significant amounts of wear that can result in extended ship layovers if not addressed. Consequently, it makes economic sense to protect against this wear.
The value of wear protection can be judged by figures from Kingfisher Industrial, a specialist in wear protection across bulk handling industries. The company has calculated that, on average, users of its wear protection systems benefit by a factor of five times their initial outlays, with many installations providing wear life of up to 20 years following appropriate wear treatment.
Kingfisher has a wealth of experience of providing wear protection on self unloading vessels: in the construction of new builds, dry dock refurbishment and even ‘on the run’. “The choice
of liners to aid discharge and protect structures is an important decision, because not only will it maintain the asset value of the vessel handling equipment, it will also ensure demurrage costs are kept to a minimum by enabling continuous discharge at the desired rate of conveyance,” said Kingfisher MD, John Connolly. “In addition, installing an optimized lining system reduces the risk of spillages, their consequent environmental impact and clean up costs.
“It also eliminates the thankless task of equipment repair, and takes away the requirement for crew to enter dangerous and, in some instances, confined spaces in order to undertake cleaning and clearing of material blockages at great risk to themselves and their colleagues. Furthermore, as self unloading vessels are renowned for their flexibility of operation, it is well worth investing in liners that comply to international standards associated with the handling of foodstuffs, thus preventing non-compliance.”
The vessels on which Kingfisher has provided wear protection are unique in their design, because they use gravity to discharge bulk out of the bottom of their cargo holds. Kingfisher has provided wear protection systems to protect the sloping discharge surfaces of the cargo holds, and has protected the conveyor transfer chutes that are positioned within the hull and on the deck discharge conveyor system.
The cargo holds are normally lined with a combination of paint, plastic and steel liners. After surface treatment is carried out, usually consisting of shot blasting, a paint system is applied by airless spray equipment to the vertical structure of the hold; this prevents corrosion and aids discharge due to its low coefficient of friction. The plastic liners are invariably supplied in the form of UHMWP (K-PLAS) liners, which are affixed using a variety of methods, however Kingfisher has found that a stud welding process combined with flat ‘lock-nuts’ is technically superior to other methods of attachments used. The liners are laid onto the bottom sloping surfaces of the cargo holds where angles of 50° to 40° are common. These angles don’t encourage certain materials to slide, due to the inherent moisture content, the size, shape, and in some instances, the cohesive characteristics of the product. Therefore, the surface needs to compensate for these issues; hence Kingfisher lines the surface with materials such as K-PLAS, which, with its low coefficient of friction, encourages the material to glide as opposed to bind to the surface. These liners also offer good wear resistance characteristics that counter the abrasive nature of some of the products conveyed. This, in turn, protects the structural integrity of the cargo hold.
When the holds are charged (filled) they tend to be loaded using either a conveying system or a grab. In order to limit the amount of wear that occurs during this activity, the operators of the vessel position it in such a way as to ensure that the product impacts on areas where abrasion and wear can be countered by using hardened steel liners. Kingfisher has used its K-FLOW stainless steel liner successfully in these areas, due to its processed hardness of 240HB and its low coefficient of friction, which counters degradation from product sizes of up to 450mm.
Within the conveyor network below the cargo holds, material is handled and transferred through chutes that discharge the material into reception hoppers on-shore, or alternatively, load directly into smaller vessels that can navigate into estuaries or
inland water ways. Due to the tonnage rates handled by the conveyor system — sometimes in excess of 6,000tph (tonnes per hour) — the design and protection of the system is of utmost importance in order to maintain its integrity and operating efficiency. Protecting this equipment using a range of ceramic, polymer or metallic liners is of utmost importance. Here, Kingfisher has had significant success using its range of K-CLAD metallic and K-ALOX ceramic liners. These systems counter the effects of handling materials with very abrasive characteristics, such as iron ore, coke and granite, which, due to the hardness of the mineral, degrade the surface of equipment used to convey it. During discharge, the importance of reliable effective materials handling equipment makes the difference in
earning or losing money, as slow discharge rates, due to a vessel’s inability to unload at an agreed tonnage rate, costs operators income!
ABOUT KINGFISHER INDUSTRIALKingfisher Industrial provides wear solutions for process plant used to convey, process or store bulk solid materials, in either dry or hydraulic states. With its range of ceramic, metallic and polymer protection systems, Kingfisher can overcome wear problems; engineering suitable protection systems that can add many years of life to a plant, and in some cases outlast the design life of a process completely
These solutions cater for the operating criteria, budget and life cycle of either new equipment — particularly when initially installed — or existing equipment, which can be retrofitted with a protection system to add to its current asset value.
How versatility brings success: the challenges of floating terminal design
Captain Mario Terenzio explains the challenges that must be addressed when designing a floating terminal.
The floating terminal Shatixa is owned by Timblo Private Limited and operates in Goa, India, loading iron ore from barges onto ocean going vessels (OGVs). But this is not what the terminal — originally called Bulk Challenger — was designed for. It was actually conceived as a discharging facility i.e. for the transfer of dry bulk cargo from large vessels into barges — the exact opposite of what it ended up doing.
The floating terminal Princesse Chloe is owned by PT Mitra Swire CTM and loads coal in East Kalimantan, Indonesia. This vessel, delivered in March, was built from scratch to achieve an average monthly loading rate of 800,000 tonnes.
Both these vessels represented a challenge for designers.
The Bulk Challenger did perform, thanks to efficient Liebherr cranes, which were sufficient to cater to the demand and could still manage to transfer the iron ore from the barges to the OGVs, but at a daily rate that was much lower than what is required by the shipping market today. That’s why Timblo decided to embark on an ambitious project for a total refurbishment of the system with a single aim: a marked improvement in the daily loading rate.
Timblo entrusted the challenge to Logmarin Advisors to redesign and re-engineer the system with minimal intervention and maximum utilization of existing equipment.
Princesse Chloe, instead, had to be the answer to the need of being able to operate the transshipment of coal in adverse weather conditions (up to 2 metres of wave height and 25 knots wind speed).
Mario Terenzio from Logmarin says,“We accepted Timblo’s project because
we looked at it as an inviting opportunity to prove our ability in adopting different
points of view. Designing a new system is one thing;
to re-engineer an existing system is an entirely different ball game.”
The challenge was to utilize the same hull, modifying it to make it more seaworthy and stable and to utilize the same cranes enhancing the cycle efficiency. The earlier version of the terminal had a flat and rectangular box-shaped pontoon, which made it extremely difficult to navigate and unstable, especially considering the adverse conditions prevailing in Goa. Such difficulty was overcome through the modification of the hull where a small spoon shaped bow was incorporated.
“Of course the challenges we had to undertake while designing Mitra Swire CTM’s Princesse Chloe weren’t less demanding. Providing the vessel with material handling equipment that could cope with adverse weather conditions, the environmental issues and maintain a loading rate more than satisfactory, wasn’t a piece of cake. But experience and versatility bore fruit. Even in her first test operations dealing with the Panamax bulk carrier Vision, Princesse Chloe achieved a daily loading rate that exceeds the minimum agreed on the contract (32,000 tonnes) and with the first vessel of the commissioning period, the Capesize Frontier, headed to Korea, has done even better: an average of 34,500 tonnes per day,” Terenzio proudly says,“especially if you think that 12 months ago, the floating terminal was just a signature on the contract”.
Princesse Chloe is double bowed and has, therefore, the possibility of operating on both sides of the vessel to load/unload. She is equipped with heavy-duty offshore Liebherr cranes, fitted with Peiner Smag grabs of 20.5m3 capacity. The cranes are strategically placed to minimize the slewing movement, thereby increasing the cycle time and efficiency. The cargo handling system supplied by Bedeschi, consists of two
duly designed hoppers and an array of conveyor systems leading to a telescopic/shuttle
shiploader. As for Princesse Chloe, for Shatixa as well the high quality and the careful choice of the equipment, have proved themselves right.
“The heavy duty 30-tonne MPG Liebherr cranes, which were earlier mounted on the port side, were relocated on the starboard side to make way for the shiploader on the port side. This would again not only act as a counterweight for the big and bulky shiploader, but would also make mooring and manoeuvring against the OGV easier,” says Terenzio. The cranes used to have a high air draught as they were meant to operate on the OGVs holds, but in their new role they have to pick up iron ore from relatively smaller barges moored alongside. The hoppers, which receive the cargo from the cranes, are also placed right under them, so to reduce the cycle time of the cranes and increase the loading efficiency.”
Terenzio emphasized,“These simple and yet strategic interventions come only after years of experience and assimilation of knowledge. The evolution of new designs is a process and not an end, and for this the feedback from the various projects are incorporated towards the betterment of new designs. It therefore becomes very important for clients to select the designers carefully.”
Timblo selected cargo handling system made by Bedeschi, which has more than a century of valuable experience in handling all kinds of dry bulk cargoes and has its own production facility to manufacture the critical items. The system, which is designed for a 2,000tph (tonnes per hour) handling rate, consists of two large hoppers mounted under the cranes, variable speed belt feeders to extract iron ore from the hoppers, longitudinal and transverse conveyor systems and a slewable, retractable delivery boom to deliver the iron ore into the holds of the OGVs.
The shiploader has a unique shuttle system, which facilitates a uniform distribution of iron ore into the holds
of the OGV. The slewing range of the shiploader reduces the necessity of the warping of the terminal alongside the OGV. The shiploader’s outreach and air draught ensure that it is capable of loading Capesize vessels with ease.
Shatixa, which used to load at a daily rate of 18,000 tonnes (and that only in fair and calm weather) now loads at 40,000 tonnes per day.
A contented Terenzio says “The satisfaction of a successful execution of a system is a motivation for the pursuit of further knowledge to be able to serve the industry, which is the commitment of Logmarin and towards which we strive.”
All the three constituents of Bulk Logistics Landmark (BLL) i.e. Bedeschi, Liebherr and Logmarin have once again contributed towards the successful execution of the Shatixa and Princesse Chloe projects and ensured that both the systems’ new life will serve clients’ enhanced competitiveness.
Coeclerici Logistics boasts exceptional fleet of transshippers
Coeclerici Logistics, the logistics division of the Coeclerici Group is amongst the largest dry bulk transshipment companies worldwide. Its innovative FTS/ FSTS (floating transfer station/ floating storage transfer station) designed, built and operated by Coeclerici Logistics are today in operation in four continents writes Captain Giordano Scotto d’Aniello, head of commercial department at Coeclerici Logistics, Milan, Italy.
EXISTING FLEET
Venezuela — Floating Storage Transfer Station Bulk Wayuu
The FSTS Bulk Wayuu`, which operates on the shore of Lake Maracaibo for Carbones del Guasare, the largest producer of coal in Venezuela, represents a continuous example to overcome export bottlenecks through the use of floating terminals.
The FSTS is a second hand vessel duly converted for transshipment of coal from barges to OGVs (ocean going vessels). Equipped with four cranes of 25/30 tonnes and a system of three travelling ship loaders, conveyor belts and three hoppers, it has been able to guarantee an average loading rate of about 42,000 metric tonnes per day, allowing Carbones del Guasare to increase export of coal from an average of 3.7mt (million tonnes) per year before 1998 to more than 6mt during the next six years. The improvements experienced have enabled Carbones del Guasare to improve vessel turnaround time, renegotiate shipping contracts and as a consequence reduce the overall freight cost, demurrage has been dramatically reduced by 50%. Last but not least, Bulk Wayuu` has significantly reduced pollution, a serious problem in Maracaibo Lake.
With the implementation of the floating terminals, importers and exporters have been able to redefine their logistic chain increasing their competitiveness and achieving substantial economic advantages thereby giving an impetus to the ongoing process of economic development which some countries, like in the case of Indonesia, are experiencing.
The Bulk Pioneer is operating for Kaltim Prima Coal, one of the largest coal exporters in the country, and its performance is an extremely important link in the production and export chain of the client. It conforms to the extremely stringent safety norms of the client with impeccable safety record. The FTS has blended into the working environment of KPC in such a way that it has become an inseparable part of the client’s equipment.
Total volume transshipped by Bulk Pioneer since start of operations in September 2005 is in excess of 25mt, greatly reducing bottlenecks and demurrages at KPC loading point.
India — FTS Bulk Prosperity
The self propelled transshipper implemented by CCL with a unique design to operate in India in accordance with local operational and meteorological conditions as well as to meet market requirement to both load and discharge largest vessels up to Capesize is now committed with Fomento Resources Group for the loading of iron ore in Goa offshore Mormugao Port. Bulk Prosperity is actually the only no captive facility operating in the area.
The contract, for two year plus one, finalized in October 2010, will provide 2.5mt of minimum guaranteed per year, increasing Fomento annually throughput.
Italy — FTS Bulk Irony
Coeclerici Logistics has developed and designed the FTS Bulk Irony, a self propelled dedicated facility utilized since 2003 by Lucchini steel mill to overcomes Piombino’s draught restriction by lightening part of raw materials shipment (both coal and iron ore) offshore, thereby reducing the overall sea freight charge. Once lightened at about 1,000tph, the ocean going vessel and Bulk Irony discharge the raw materials onto the jetty. The success story of the Bulk Irony has seen the renewal of the contract for a further five-year period with Lucchini steel mill.
Black Sea — FTS Bulk Kremi I
Coeclerici Logistics has also fortified its position in the Black Sea with the recent joint venture with Transship Ltd for the employment of Bulk Kremi I. The FTS is operating in the Gulf of Kerch and mainly handling sulphur cargo, but also iron ore and coal, overcoming logistics bottleneck in the area.
The FTS features a 14,000-tonne storage hold and is equipped with two SWL 25t cranes. The FTS, which has a Russian flag, is strategically positioned at the entrance of Azov Sea optimizing the cargo intake of the inward/outward OGVs (ocean going vessels) transiting along the 8-metre draught channel.
PROJECTS UNDER IMPLEMENTATIONBeira, Mozambique — Bulk Zambesi The transshipper, which is the first of two units commissioned by Vale, will commence operations in the second half of 2011 in Beira, Mozambique to perform offshore transshipment of coal mined in the Moatize area.
Indonesia — Bulk Java Coeclerici Logistics’ presence in Indonesia has been reinforced with the new floating transfer station unit Bulk Java which will help PT Berau Coal to support and guarantee the further expansion of its annual throughput, reconfirming Coeclerici Logistics as the provider of offshore logistics services to the main coal producers in the country. The FTS will be delivered during the second half of 2011.
Bulk Kremi I revamping The unit will be equipped with an environmentally friendly system comprising two hoppers, longitudinal and cross belt conveyors and a telescopic shiploader fitted with a particular retractable chute. The system will have a transshipment capacity of 750tph, designed to handle sulphur as well as the other main dry bulk materials and conceived to avoid any dust emissions during operations.
CUSTOMIZED DESIGNIn line with Coeclerici’s philosophy to tailor make solutions to suit the specific requirements of clients, every FTS/FSTS is designed after very careful consideration of the project requirements including detailed discussions with clients, on site visits, surveys and the gathering of all necessary information to provide the most suitable, efficient and commercially viable product for the project allowing the clients to achieve a
reduction in the cost of the logistic transport chain of the drybulk materials.